Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:1
21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
John the apostle saw the new heaven and earth because the old ones had passed away. It refers to the renewal of attention.
In this very short time, we must focus on the matters of God, namely the matters which will not pass away, but be eternal and more than anything in the world as follows:
2 Peter 1:11
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thus, we must pay attention to the heavenly kingdom or make serious efforts to enter it.
Matthew 27:57-60
27:57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
27:58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
27:59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Mark 15:43
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
For example, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich intelligent person with high position could focus on the heavenly kingdom and always tried to enter it. The facts found in it are as follows
God blesses you.
Revelation 21:1
21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
John the apostle saw the new heaven and earth because the old ones had passed away. It refers to the renewal of attention.
In this very short time, we must focus on the matters of God, namely the matters which will not pass away, but be eternal and more than anything in the world as follows:
- The Word or the true teaching Word.
- God's mercy.
- The eternal heavenly kingdom.
2 Peter 1:11
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thus, we must pay attention to the heavenly kingdom or make serious efforts to enter it.
Matthew 27:57-60
27:57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
27:58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
27:59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Mark 15:43
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
For example, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich intelligent person with high position could focus on the heavenly kingdom and always tried to enter it. The facts found in it are as follows
- [verse 58-59] [verse 43] Coming and taking courage to ask for the body of Jesus. It means being willing, forcing his own life, or training the flesh to be willing to enter the death experience with Jesus, regardless of any risk we have to take.
Acts 5:41
5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
We can suffer because of Jesus only because of God's mercy because not all people are counted worthy to suffer because of Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-5
1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
1:4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
1:5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
Through the cross experience, our faith increases, so we can rejoice in the midst of sufferings and be counted worthy to enter the heavenly kingdom.
[verse 59] The death experience with Jesus is related to the fine linen, clean and bright.
1 Peter 4:1-2
4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
4:2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
It means the suffering in the flesh together with Jesus to put to death the sins, repent, or stop sinning and return to God. As a result, we can live in righteousness and only do the righteous and good deeds. We do not commit evil deeds or harm others. We do not repay evil for evil, but good for evil. - Laying the body of Jesus in the new tomb.
Matthew 27:60
27:60 and laid it in his new tombwhich he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Why must the body of Jesus be laid in the new tomb?
2 Kings 13:21
13:21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
Being buried in the old tomb, Jesus might have risen like the dead body that rose because of touching the bones of Elisha. Jesus was buried in the new tomb to prove that His resurrection happened only because of the power of Holy Spirit.
Thus, laying the body of Jesus in the new tomb means that we get the power of resurrection after experiencing the death together with Him.
Thus, the power of Jesus' resurrection is able to change our attention from the worldly things to the heavenly ones. We willingly sacrifice all physical things to get the spiritual ones. The spiritual things mean ministering to the body of Christ or the ministry for the edification of the perfect and eternal body of Christ.
By the power of the resurrection of Christ, we can be willing or force the flesh to willingly minister the edification of Christ's body according to the encouragement from God regardless of anything we have to sacrifice. All physical things in the world must be sacrificed for the edification of Christ's body. It starts from the marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, and so on.
Only the true teaching Word must not be sacrificed because it will be the same as building the body without the head or it is a terrible thing.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saintsfor the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
The requirement of building the body of Christ is holiness.
Isaiah 22:15-16,19-21
22:15 Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "Go, proceed to this steward, To Shebna, who is over the house, and say:
22:16 'What have you here, and whom have you here, That you have hewn a sepulcher here, As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, Who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?
22:19 So I will drive you out of your office, And from your position he will pull you down.
22:20 'Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;
22:21 I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah.
Ministering to God in the edification of Christ's body is the same as ministering in the kingdom of heaven.
Leaving the ministry because of looking for physical things is the same as digging the tomb or being foolish. Consequently, the robe of ministry is given to others and it cannot be taken anymore.
Isaiah 22:17-18
22:17 Indeed, the LORD will throw you away violently, O mighty man, And will surely seize you.
22:18 He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball Into a large country; There you shall die, and there your glorious chariots Shall be the shame of your master's house.
One who is foolish and not wise is like building a house on the sand, namely falling and great is its fall.
Deuteronomy 11:10-11
11:10 "For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden;
11:11 "but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven,
If we have the experience of death and resurrection with Jesus, our life is in the atmosphere of heaven or we only rely on the mercy of God, so we can live anywhere, anytime, and in any circumstances up to the eternal life.
Living in the worldly system, one will only rely on his own effort or power. - Burying Jesus in a new tomb in the garden or the special one.
John 19:41
19:41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
Song of Solomon 4:12-16
4:12 A garden enclosedIs my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed.
4:13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits, Fragrant henna with spikenard,
4:14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, With all the chief spices--
4:15 A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon.
4:16 THE SHULAMITE Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.
The garden enclosed refers to the heavenly bride whom God specializes. The garden enclosed also refers to the shepherding system. Only ones who are shepherded well and correctly can enter the ministry for the edification of Christ's body to be the perfect bride of God.
Entering the sheepfold is indeed like passing through the narrow door or the crucifixion to the flesh. We only hear and obey the voice of the shepherd. We are specialized to be the apple of God's eye
The results are as follows:- [verse 15] We get the source of living water that gives the heavenly satisfaction in the midst of the dryness in the world.
- [verse 14] We get the spices, namely the worship that is sweet-smelling before God, so Jesus comes in our life.
- [verse 16] The north and south wind refers to the temptation. God lets the temptation come so that we can worship Him with a broken heart. As a result, He comes with the power of resurrection.
Romans 8:11
8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Holy Spirit is able to revive the dead things. We are changed from the fleshly men to the spiritual ones life Jesus is.
John 19:38
19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.
"secretly" means not being honest, but hiding something. It is changed into honesty and being the house of prayer.
The fear of man until resisting against God is changed into the fear of the Lord or hating sins up to lies.
"secretly" also means not being faithful. It is changed into the faithfulness and fervency in spirit to God.
Holy Spirit is able to preserve our life in the midst of the difficulties in the world. The impossible things can be made possible. There is beautiful and successful future life.
- [verse 15] We get the source of living water that gives the heavenly satisfaction in the midst of the dryness in the world.
God blesses you.